The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-BARMM) has destroyed more than P55 million worth of illegal drugs and marijuana seized during operations across the region this year.
PDEA-BARMM director Gil Cesario Castro oversaw the destruction at a facility in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte, where the drugs were incinerated in a high-capacity furnace on Wednesday.
Lamsan Inc., a local cornstarch producer, provided the incinerator for the operation.
In a statement on Thursday, November 7, Castro said the PDEA-BARMM had a 76% success rate in anti-drug operations, confiscating roughly P200 million worth of illegal substances this year.
The event, titled “Destruction of Dangerous Drugs,” was attended by local government officials, as well as police and military representatives.
Despite these efforts, Castro noted with concern that BARMM is now the second-most drug-affected region in the country, after the National Capital Region.